Why a new rating

In this convoluted world of claims and conjecture about what’s green and what’s not, it’s easy to get lost in all the noise.

But we can’t afford to be confused! We must be confident in our decision making. We must be able to rely on a factual and impartial means of measuring the sustainability level of each product we purchase.

In the Visual Communication industry, such a system is long overdue.

What are we measuring

Just like a hotel – a star rating isn’t based on an emotional feeling or someone’s best guess. It’s forcefully grounded in a strict set of criteria that’s measured meticulously and consistently.

Likewise, the Green Star System™ analyses a clearly defined set of metrics within two key parameters: raw material and end of life.

Raw materials

Lower ratings are given to materials made from virgin fossil fuels – basically, plastics – while higher scores are applied to renewable materials, and even higher for products made of recycled materials.

The products can be made from non-recycled/virgin raw materials or from recycled materials having been used before and then put through a process so that it can form a new product.

Raw materials can either come from fossil and mineral sources (not renewable) or from renewable/biosourced sources.

• NON-RECYCLED FOSSIL FUELS are hydrocarbon; primarily coal, fuel or natural gas that are not derived from plant sources – made from non-recycled/virgin raw material
• NON-RECYCLED RENEWABLE & BIOSOURCED material of plant which are based on the photosynthetic primary production – made from non-recycled/virgin raw material
• RECYCLED FOSSIL FUELS having been used before and then put through a process so that it can form a new product.
• RECYCLED RENEWABLE & BIOSOURCED having been used before and then put through a process so that it can form a new product.

End of life

Here we consider how the product is dealt with after use. For example, is it difficult to recycle? Does it contain hazardous substances that don’t comply with the EU’s REACH regulations?

• LOW RECYCLABILITY - The product is very difficult to recycle, either due to fundamental design issues or lack of a specific waste stream. This is the case for multi-composite materials or materials that include other substances, such as additives and adhesives.
• MID RECYCLABILITY - The raw material is difficult to recycle because of the lack of a specific waste stream widely present in the European Union. This is the case for plastics made with single material polymers, such as PVC and PU.
• HIGH RECYCLABILITY - A highly effective process is in place to recover plastic waste and reprocess the material into useful products. Common examples include PET, PP and PE.
• REACH - A regulation adopted by the European Union to improve the protection of human health and the environment from risks related to toxic chemicals.